Alvey Reels

[Knotpretty]

Need some opinions on Alvey Reels for bottom bashing. Are they out dated or still good value for the job. mojo

[nipper525]

Mojo

As with all tackle it depends on what you are trying to do with it..Depth ,target species style of fishing your experience,budget.blah blah....

The most experience and sucess with them was bottom fishing off Gold Coast with charters targeting snapper ,pearlies,trag,etc.Caught big jews,cobia Aj kings Sailfish even striped marlin once.....This was before the braid craze back in the early 90's..We caught lots of fish and had not much hassle with all different level s of experience..They are cheap to buy and maintain. And as good as braid is there are some species where it isnt as good as mono..I find that softer mouth fish like pearlies trevally trag have soft mouth s and braid can work against you..IE pulled hooks....Some people may disagree but with regular charters who may or may not have many rod skills or knowledge of bringing fish in this can be factor in lost fish or not...

We used the 725 size, mono a 6 foot rod with a bit of tip action to see bits and found it very good for what were doing..I,m sure you can put braid on those reels with lots of backing but for value for money they are very usefull reel in its chossen area of fishing just like every other reel out there..They all have there place..I,m sure Ross is still using them to this day..

I still use smaller size direct drive for snapper fishing in shalllow water and catch the shit out of them..It is great fun using the palm of your hand as drag when a snapper is rampaging towards the bottom after it has taking your bait in mid water floating down the burley trail as the sun goes down on a chilly winter afternoon...

Value for money,we certianly got more then our share of value when day in day out bottom fishing charters on the Gold Coast and my own personal use I have had a ball..

I,m wondering how many of the new breed of fisherman would even be able to use one without getting into all sorts of tangles..lol Just stirring the pot...I,m sure there is plenty of guys having a chuckle about that comment...lol

It's all good so give it a go if it fits your style of fishing..

[wayno60]

Mate,
been useing alveys for 40 years the only 2 prob with them is that after a big session you have to untwist your line.and just lately i loaded up a 650 with 300m of 40lb braid and with out some sort of protection over your, for a better word, guide finger it will get cut to ribbons.

[theoldlegend]

Mate, have you looked at the range of the Alvey non-casting reels?

They're designed for bottom bashing.

The three that come to mind are the 525 C52, the 655 C52 and the 725 C52.

They all hold a huge amount of line and are suited for rods around the 2 metre length.

In fact, some charter operators prefer them over the other types of outfits for their clients because of their ease of operation.

Well worth a look imo.


TOL

[nigelr]

Alveys out-dated for bottom bashing? You decide.......fashion is a personal thing lol!
Effective......absolutely without question.
Simple, easily maintained and powerful tools that won't let you down, only downside IMHO is the size and weight. Used a C650 for many years for both surf, rock and inshore, very versatile and dependable, put teflon washers in mine and smoothed the drag out beautifully.
Cheers.

[finga]

Maaaate. Are black double pluggers outdated and old fashioned and poor value for the job??

Different question. Same answer.
Never outdated and always up for the job.

There are so many variations to the Alvey you kinda need a rough idea on how you want to fish to decide on the right Alvey though....but in saying that each particular reel is pretty adaptable to different fishing styles.

[nipper525]

SSMojo,

I think you are getting your answer..

As the other guys have said it depends on what sort of fishing you are trying to do..Value for money 1000%

[timddo]

Once you have tried the good reels. it's like driving a kingswood and today's new falcon. I gave up on alvey when i was 19. Too much bloody energy wasted on reeling in a fish.

On another note, it will last practically for every and is good for those once in a while deckies.

[Noelm]

not exactly sure how you waste more energy on an Alvey that has a huge line recovery rate per turn! if energy use is your requirement, then a handline should be your choice of 'weapon"

[Nicko_Cairns]

Maaaate. Are black double pluggers outdated and old fashioned and poor value for the job??

Different question. Same answer.
Never outdated and always up for the job.

There are so many variations to the Alvey you kinda need a rough idea on how you want to fish to decide on the right Alvey though....but in saying that each particular reel is pretty adaptable to different fishing styles.

LOL gold, completely agree.

[finga]

Once you have tried the good reels. it's like driving a kingswood and today's new falcon. I gave up on alvey when i was 19. Too much bloody energy wasted on reeling in a fish.

On another note, it will last practically for every and is good for those once in a while deckies.
Oh crap. I've been figured out.
Here's my Kingswood.
It's still going after 32 years and there'd be no way in hell would I swap her for any Falcoooon.
And NO!!!. You can't borrow her ;D

[nipper525]

Hey finga i bet the ol'e kingsey has column shift as well..Got to master to the old style before you can jump to the generation of new...

Maybe they had trouble with the old and jumped straight to the new cause it is suppose to be better..lol

[Knotpretty]

Thanks for all the replies I'm putting a Alvey Boat Combo on my xmas list.

[nigelr]

That's a piece of art finga! Is it the V8? Looks like the Super Luxury Edition!

[finga]

Thanks for all the replies I'm putting a Alvey Boat Combo on my xmas list.
And a Kingswood to match??

That's a piece of art finga! Is it the V8? Looks like the Super Luxury Edition!
It is the Vacationer II with 253 with T-bar trimatic and power steer and A/C and central locking AND cruise and GTS dash and factory tint and all that stuff.
Only thing not from the factory is the mags but I have the original wheels and wheel trims in the shed.

She only comes out on Australia Day for a cruise.

[spelchek]

YOU'RE NOT TAKING THE KINGSWOOD!! I just baygoned the mudflaps!

[onerabbit]

She only comes out on Australia Day for a cruise.

A lot of wasted rego $ for 1 day a year...........

or do you go for the cruise always looking in the rear-view mirror???

(perhaps this is the one with pensioner rego??)

As for the original question,
anyone who bags out alvey reels has never learned to use one,
they are great for braid or mono, and are the best reel to give to a newbie,
strong and reliable, they almost never fail.

Muzz

Muzz

[oldboot]

I am definitely an Alvey lover... but I do own other reels.

I think that fishing methods play to the advantages of the gear used.

I don't think an alvey would compete with other reels, tyring to do the techniques that advantage them.

But an alvey playing its own game...ahh different thing.

these egg beater and bait caster blokes need their braid for sensitivity........the alvey is so much more tactile because you have the line in your fingers.
They are smoother because most have no gear train
And the old chestnut about poor drag......hell you got a "T shirt" don't ya


If you are trying to be smooth, stealthy and tactile..it is hard to beat an alvey.


As far as line capaicity, you have to have a very large lump of any other real to even come close.

AND, I have never seen one that could not be fixed.

cheers

[charleville]

.....the alvey is so much more tactile because you have the line in your fingers...................................
............................................
...........................................
If you are trying to be smooth, stealthy and tactile..it is hard to beat an alvey.




As a dedicated bait fisho, I overwhelmingly agree with that.

I take out a range of reels when I go fishing and I find that my Shimano baitrunners to be superb for unattended lines and snapper fishing in general where I choose 20 lb or 30 lb lines.

However, my greatest delight and excitement comes when I pick up my Alvey reel on a 10 1/2 ft Wilson Live Fibre Rod with 12 lb line.

Ostensibly, this is my bream outfit but as a tactile rig for catching plate sized sweetlip, snapper and especially tuskfish with their almost imperceptible bites, that Alvey/Live Fibre rig is the very best outfit that I have ever used.


For heavier fishing where I am using 20 lb or 30 lb lines, I prefer the compactness of a spinning reel, with my preference being the Shimano baitrunners.




.

[oldboot]

I know it will sound silly to the "modern tackle " blokes but there are still quite a few who go out in aboat with a 10 to 12 foot rod and a 6 inch side cast, chasing snapper and all sorts of stuff.

"Check out the old guy with the surf rod";D

The big rod has many tricks and that old alvey can pull all the tricks you pay hundreds of $$$ for in a bait runner...especilay if you have one with the drag.

The bait runner may have 2 drag systems, the Alvey has 3.....If you count your "T" shirt.

And don't think they are limited to bait fishing..........



cheers

[nipper525]

Love it when a plan comes togther..Dusted off the 6 inch alvey, 15 lb line, 8 ft rod , pea size sinker in 40 metres ..5kg snapper..palms got a bit warm as it took off along the bottom fraying my line..lucky to get it really...nice sunday morning...

[charleville]

The big rod has many tricks and that old alvey can pull all the tricks you pay hundreds of $$$ for in a bait runner...especilay if you have one with the drag.



Yup! Agreed. What the baitrunner gives though is compactness. Also, I have a lever drag on my main Alvey reel and it is is not as easy to set as on the egg beaters. It is a bit too sensitive to movement of the lever. Nonetheless, it is still my favorite gear for bait fishing. The length of the rod makes it a bit clumsy to use in a boat if line has to be untwisted at the end of the rod and I have learnt how easily such rods break when you bend the tip by hand (bugger! :-[ ) but nonetheless they are great rigs to fish with for the bait fisho who likes to actively fish.


It is also interesting to see the current TV promo for "Home and Away" on Channel 7. I have never watched the show so I have absolutely no idea what it is about nor where it is located but in the promo, the older character is shown fishing from the shore of a bay with an Alvey reel on a long rod. That surprised me as I am assuming that the show is a southern made show and I don't usually expect to see Alveys being used by the Mexicans.

[finga]

It is also interesting to see the current TV promo for "Home and Away" on Channel 7. I have never watched the show so I have absolutely no idea what it is about nor where it is located but in the promo, the older character is shown fishing from the shore of a bay with an Alvey reel on a long rod. That surprised me as I am assuming that the show is a southern made show and I don't usually expect to see Alveys being used by the Mexicans.
That's Alf.
And I've never seen him catch a fish.
But it might help if I watched the program I reckon.

[nipper525]

it's filmed on the northern beaches of sydney at Palm Beach area.

[2iar]

And a Kingswood to match??

It is the Vacationer II with 253 with T-bar trimatic and power steer and A/C and central locking AND cruise and GTS dash and factory tint and all that stuff.
Only thing not from the factory is the mags but I have the original wheels and wheel trims in the shed.

She only comes out on Australia Day for a cruise.


I don't intend on doing it for a while yet, but when I die, I don't want to go to heaven. I want to go to Finga's shed.

[finga]

I don't intend on doing it for a while yet, but when I die, I don't want to go to heaven. I want to go to Finga's shed.
Gidday matey.
Gees eh. Haven't heard from you for ages :)
The Kingswood's my coffin. It'll save the arguments when I'm dead ;D

[charleville]

Gidday matey.
Gees eh. Haven't heard from you for ages :)



Very true! Welcome back 2iar!


.